Mrs. Harris
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox television
| image = MrsHarrisPoster.jpg
| image_size =
| image_alt =
| caption = Original poster
| genre =
| creator =
| based_on = {{Based on|Very Much a Lady|Shana Alexander}}
| writer =
| screenplay = Phyllis Nagy
| story =
| director = Phyllis Nagy
| starring = {{Plainlist|
}}
| narrated =
| music = Alex Wurman
| country = United States
United Kingdom
| language = English
| executive_producer = {{Plainlist|
- Elizabeth Karlsen
- Pam Koffler
- Christine Vachon
- John Wells}}
| producer = Chrisann Verges
| editor = {{Plainlist|
- Curtiss Clayton
- Lee Percy}}
| cinematography = Steven Poster
| runtime = 95 minutes
| company = {{Plainlist|
- HBO Films
- John Wells Productions
- Killer Films
- Number 9 Films}}
| budget =
| network = HBO
| released = {{Start date|2005|09|16}}
}}
Mrs. Harris is a 2005 American-British made-for-television drama film written and directed by Phyllis Nagy.{{cite news |last1=Stanley |first1=Alessandra |date=February 24, 2006 |title=She Didn't Mean to Kill Him, or Did She? A Scandal Revisited |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/24/arts/television/24tvwk.html |newspaper=The New York Times}} Based on the non-fiction book Very Much a Lady by Shana Alexander, the film explores the complex and volatile relationship between Herman Tarnower, a prominent cardiologist and author of The Complete Scarsdale Medical Diet, and Jean Harris, the headmistress of an elite girls’ school. The telefilm was produced by Killer Films, Number 9 Films, and John Wells Productions for HBO Films.
The film stars Annette Bening as Jean Harris and Ben Kingsley as Herman Tarnower, with supporting performances by Cloris Leachman, Chloë Sevigny, and a cameo appearance by Ellen Burstyn—who had previously portrayed Harris in the 1981 television film The People vs. Jean Harris. Mrs. Harris premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 16, 2005, and was later broadcast on HBO on February 25, 2006.
Mrs. Harris received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised Bening and Kingsley’s performances, particularly for their emotional depth and nuance. It earned multiple award nominations, including a leading seven at the 58th Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Television Movie, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie (for Kingsley), Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie (Bening), and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie (for both Burstyn and Leachman).
Plot
On a stormy March night in 1980, Jean Harris, the headmistress of a Virginia girls’ school, arrives at the home of her former lover, renowned cardiologist Herman Tarnower, in Purchase, New York, after a long drive. Intending to confront him and end her life on his estate following his growing attachment to his younger secretary, Lynne Tryforos, Jean instead becomes involved in a physical struggle during which Tarnower is shot. She initially leaves to seek help but returns when she sees police arriving at the house.
Told through a nonlinear narrative structure, the film interweaves flashbacks and flashforwards to depict the history of Jean and Herman's turbulent relationship. Their romance, which began with promise, gradually deteriorates as Herman's domineering personality and serial infidelity take a psychological toll on Jean. Despite his engagement gesture—a flashy ring she deems inappropriate for her professional image—Herman refuses to marry her, citing his unwillingness to take on a paternal role for her two sons. As their relationship sours, Herman continues to manipulate Jean, maintaining emotional control and prescribing her a regimen of medications that lead to dependency.
As the story progresses to Jean’s trial for murder, a second depiction of the shooting is shown, contrasting the earlier portrayal. In this version, Jean is seen deliberately shooting Herman multiple times, contradicting her courtroom claim of accidental discharge. Her refusal to allow her attorney to present Tarnower's manipulative behavior as part of her defense undermines a plea of emotional disturbance. She is ultimately convicted and sentenced to 15 years to life in prison at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women in Westchester County.
Cast
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
- Annette Bening as Jean Harris
- Ben Kingsley as Herman Tarnower
- Cloris Leachman as Pearl Schwartz
- Bill Smitrovich as Joel Arnou
- Chloë Sevigny as Lynne Tryforos
- Frances Fisher as Marge Jacobson
- Michael Gross as Leslie Jacobson
- Cristine Rose as Suzanne
- Mary McDonnell as Vivian Schulte
- Philip Baker Hall as Arthur Schulte
- Robert Cicchini as Detective Siciliano
- Michael Paul Chan as Dr. Louis Roh
- Ellen Burstyn as Former Tarnower Steady
- Nan Martin as Mama Tarnower
- Lisa Edelstein as Forensic Psychologist
- Brett Butler as Tarnower Ex #1
- Lee Garlington as Tarnower Ex #2
- Jessica Tuck as Wife #1
- John Rubinstein as Tarnower's Best Friend
- Larry Drake as Harris Defense Team Psychiatrist
- Heidemarie Fuentes as Crying Court Room Spectator (uncredited)
- Michael C. Moore as Jimmie Harris
{{div col end}}
Production
= Development =
Mrs. Harris was adapted for television by playwright and screenwriter Phyllis Nagy, who also made her directorial debut with the film. The project was initiated when executive producer Elizabeth Karlsen brought Nagy in to discuss potential directors. In an interview with Creative Screenwriting, Nagy recalled, "After I finished the first draft of that script, and Liz Karlsen brought me in to talk about directors, I knew she was going to ask me who I thought could direct this. I thought to myself, 'Well, I want to direct it.' But I didn’t say that." When Karlsen rejected the other names Nagy suggested, she proposed that Nagy direct it herself—a decision Nagy described as both unexpected and affirming.{{cite web |last=Park |first=Jennie E. |date=December 2, 2015 |title=Carol: "Less is More" when adapting Highsmith |url=http://creativescreenwriting.com/carol-less-is-more-when-adapting-highsmith/ |accessdate=December 2, 2015 |publisher=Creative Screenwriting}}
= Casting =
The film stars Annette Bening as Jean Harris and Ben Kingsley as Dr. Herman Tarnower, supported by Cloris Leachman as Tarnower’s sister and Chloë Sevigny as Lynne Tryforos, his secretary and lover. Ellen Burstyn, who portrayed Harris in the 1981 television film The People vs. Jean Harris, appears in a cameo role as Gerda Stedman, one of Tarnower's former romantic partners. Burstyn’s brief appearance—consisting of two lines of dialogue totaling 38 words and lasting 14 seconds—earned her a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie. In response, she quipped, “My next ambition is to get nominated for seven seconds, and, ultimately, I want to be nominated for a picture in which I don't even appear.”{{cite web |date=2006-11-03 |title=Ellen Burstyn sounds off on her Emmy nod |url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2006-11-03-burstyn_x.htm?csp=34 |accessdate=November 3, 2006 |work=USA Today}}
= Filming =
The film was produced for HBO by Killer Films, Number 9 Films, and John Wells Productions. Production design and visual aesthetics aimed to capture the contrasting environments of Harris’s structured professional life and her increasingly chaotic personal relationship with Tarnower. The film used a nonlinear narrative style with flashbacks and flashforwards to parallel Jean Harris’s emotional deterioration and the unraveling of her trial.
Critical reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 43% of 7 critics’ reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.2/10.{{Cite web |title=Mrs. Harris {{!}} Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mrs_harris#:~:text=Audience%20Reviews&text=I%20find%20the%20fact%20that,to%20enjoy%20in%20this%20film. |access-date=2025-05-09 |website=www.rottentomatoes.com |language=en}} On Metacritic, Mrs. Harris holds a weighted average score of 70 out of 100, based on 21 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews."{{cite web |title=Mrs. Harris |url=http://www.metacritic.com/tv/mrs-harris |accessdate=February 22, 2016 |website=Metacritic}} In his review for Variety, Dennis Harvey described the film as "competent rather than inspired" and "an uneven affair," noting that it struggles to settle on a consistent tone. He wrote, "Elements of mystery, social satire (Nagy does have some bright lines up her sleeve), psychological horror story, black comedy, and straightforward tragic love story all jostle without complementing each other or achieving a successful kaleidoscope effect." Nevertheless, he acknowledged that "tale and execution are both colorful enough to hold attention."{{cite web |last=Harvey |first=Dennis |date=September 16, 2005 |title=Review: "Mrs. Harris" |url=https://variety.com/2005/film/reviews/mrs-harris-1200523127/ |accessdate=February 22, 2016 |work=Variety}}
Awards and nominations
DVD release
Mrs. Harris was released on DVD by HBO Home Video in anamorphic widescreen format on August 1, 2006.{{cite web |date=July 31, 2006 |title=DVD Releases for August 1, 2006 |url=http://www.the-numbers.com/news/182900830-DVD-Releases-for-August-1-2006 |accessdate=March 18, 2016 |website=The Numbers}} The disc includes audio options in English and Spanish, with subtitles available in English, Spanish, and French. Special features include an audio commentary with Annette Bening, Ben Kingsley, and writer-director Phyllis Nagy, as well as a short featurette titled Mrs. Harris: For the Record, which presents brief interviews with individuals connected to the real-life events, including Jean Harris herself.{{cite web |title=Mrs. Harris DVD |url=http://store.hbo.com/mrs-harris-dvd/detail.php?p=100448 |accessdate=March 18, 2016 |publisher=HBO}} The film was re-released on DVD in September 2012.{{cite web |last=King |first=Susan |date=August 1, 2006 |title=Weathering the dog days on disc |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-aug-01-et-dvdextras1-story.html |access-date=March 18, 2016 |work=Los Angeles Times}}
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20060209041030/http://www.hbo.com/films/mrsharris/ Official website] (Archive)
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20171029193545/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b8b6279a6 Mrs. Harris] at BFI
- {{IMDb title|0391353}}
Category:2005 television films
Category:2005 crime drama films
Category:American films based on actual events
Category:Films set in the 1960s
Category:Films set in the 1970s
Category:Films set in the 1980s
Category:Films produced by Elizabeth Karlsen
Category:Films scored by Alex Wurman
Category:American crime drama films
Category:American drama television films
Category:2000s English-language films